Assistant Director IT Operations & Shared Services

Do you want to be part of making London the best city in the world?

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is the centre of government for London, serving both the Mayor and the London Assembly. The Mayor of London sets the priorities to make London a better place for everyone who visits, lives or works in the city. The Assembly holds the Mayor and Mayoral advisers to account.

The Mayor's remit extends beyond the GLA itself and oversees the operation of the London Fire Brigade, Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police, as well as a number of Mayoral Development Corporations.

The GLA is part way through a transition to shared services with Transport for London. We are seeking to make improvements to our technology, delivering more efficient and effective services for our employees. This will enable our people to deliver the projects across Greater London over areas including Housing & Land, Adult Education, Transport, Environment, Arts & Culture, Business & Economy and Regeneration & Planning.

If you want to be part of having a major impact across London and the people who live, work and travel there as Assistant Director IT Operations and Shared Services please do get in touch.

The Role The IT Shared Service

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is part way through the transfer of its technical services to Transport for London. The change will deliver savings for the GLA Group and improve the reliability of IT services. The GLA employs approximately 1500 staff; these include the Mayor of London, the London Assembly, all their support staff as well as separate, but related bodies - the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC).

The Assistant Director IT Operations and Shared Services will need to understand and help support the wider implications as a result of these changes including (but not limited to) the impact to digital and data services. They will help design and enable a new operating model for the GLA that is fit for purpose and helps the GLA deliver an excellent corporate service to the users.

This role of Assistant Director IT Operations and Shared Services represents a unique opportunity for a skilled communicator, who can engender trust and has a track record of delivering complex projects or programmes at a senior level. This role will oversee, lead and manage the GLA aspects of the transition programme and be responsible to the GLA Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Business Improvement.

Job purpose

1. To provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for the transition of IT services from the Greater London Authority (GLA) to Transport for London (TfL), ensuring the successful delivery of the shared services model. The role will focus on program governance, stakeholder engagement, and the development of an operating model that aligns with the GLA's strategic objectives and enhances corporate services.
2. To provide leadership for service management of IT infrastructure services related to operational IT and to work with TfL as the shared service partner

Principal accountabilities

Programme Leadership and Delivery

• Lead the implementation of the IT Shared Service model, ensuring the timely and cost-effective transfer of services to TfL.
• Develop and oversee a comprehensive transition plan, encompassing project delivery, service integration, and the decommissioning of legacy systems.
• Monitor programme milestones, risks, and dependencies, providing regular updates to senior leadership and governance boards.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Act as the primary liaison between the GLA, TfL, the Mayor's Office, and the London Assembly, ensuring clear communication and alignment on programme objectives.
• Lead staff briefings and consultation exercises to build awareness and support for the transition across the organisation.
• Engages with and influences stakeholders to ensure that services are developed and managed to meet agreed service levels, security requirements and other quality standards.

Operating Model Development:

• Collaborate with the Director of Digital to design and implement a fit-for-purpose operating model that supports the GLA's strategic goals and enhances IT service delivery.
• Ensure the new model incorporates best practices in digital and data services to deliver a high-quality user experience.
• Development of service management strategy to ensure resilience, security and scalability of IT operations, ensuring integration with TfL.

Strategic Vision and Alignment:

• Shape the long-term strategic direction of IT service delivery across the GLA and TfL, ensuring alignment with the Mayor's priorities and London's broader digital transformation agenda.
• Identify and leverage opportunities for innovation in IT and digital services to position the GLA as a leader in public sector technology and service delivery.
• Developing and implementing a cyber security strategy to ensure systems and services are continuously operational and resistant to attacks and disasters
• Development of GLA-wide incident management policy and processes including business continuity plans
• Leadership for information security incidents

Organisational Change Leadership:

• Drive organisational change management efforts to embed the new IT Shared Service model within the GLA, fostering a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership, providing insights and recommendations on leveraging technical capabilities to enhance operational efficiency and service quality.

Governance and Reporting:

• Provide oversight of program governance, including preparing materials for key governance forums such as the GLA Collaboration Board.
• Maintain a comprehensive risk register and escalate critical issues to the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Business Improvement governance boards as required.
• Lead IT governance, ensuring compliance with industry standards, best practices and regulatory requirements
• Monitoring and reporting on key KPIs for IT service management

Resource and Budget Management:

• Oversee the commissioning, procurement, and management of resources allocated to the program, ensuring effective utilisation and value for money.
• Manage the programme, IT shared services and operational budgets, ensuring delivery within financial constraints while achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts and ensuring that service level agreements are met.
• Ensuring cost-effective and high quality service delivery.

Equality and Inclusion:

• Promote and enable equality of opportunity and inclusivity, ensuring the transition program reflects and supports the diverse needs of London's communities.

Additional Information

This role is politically restricted under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

The Person

The Assistant Director IT Operations and Shared Services will bring the relevant knowledge and experience to lead the transfer of its technical services to Transport for London.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Proven experience leading complex, large-scale transition or change programs in a multi-stakeholder environment.
• Strong understanding of IT service delivery, including digital and data services, and their role in supporting organisational objectives.
• Experience working in a politically sensitive or public sector environment is desirable.

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent leadership and team management skills, with a track record of leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver complex programs.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong program and project management skills, including risk management and budget oversight.
• Analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to design and implement effective operating models.

Behavioural Competencies

Building and Managing Relationship

Level 4 indicators of effective performance:

• Identifies and engages a diverse range of influential contacts within stakeholder and community groups, and partner organisations
• Builds alliances to establish mutually beneficial working arrangements, openly sharing knowledge and insights
• Actively challenges and addresses 'silo attitudes' to encourage effective relationships
• Understands the complexities of political dynamics and uses this to manage relationships and resolve conflict effectively
• Identifies clear win-win situations with external partners

Communicating and Influencing

Level 4 indicators of effective performance:

• Articulates self with credibility and conviction, encouraging buy-in to corporate position Influences the thinking of other organisations, encouraging them to deliver
• Ensures that the organisation communicates inclusively with staff and external stakeholders Acts as a credible and convincing spokesperson and negotiator
• Instils a corporate commitment to accessible communication

Stakeholder Focus

Level 4 indicators of effective performance:

• Adapts public facing position based on the context behind stakeholder needs and requests
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